Montpelier, Vermont climate: Normal weather by month, frost dates and records
Montpelier's normal year runs from 7°F January nights to 82°F July afternoons, with 41.4 inches of precipitation a year. (NOAA 1991-2020 normals)
In metric: a yearly mean of 7.2°C, January lows of −14°C, July highs of 28°C, 1,050 mm of precipitation a year.
- NOAA stationMontpelier 2
- Station IDUSC00435273
- Location44.26°N 72.60°W
- Elevation530 ft (162 m)
- Population7,915
On October 23, the normal high in Montpelier is 55°F and the normal low 36°F, and the chance of measurable rain or snow is 44%.
Normals describe a typical year at the station, not a forecast. The National Weather Service forecast for Montpelier.
- Jan 28° 7°
- Feb 31° 9°
- Mar 40° 18°
- Apr 53° 32°
- May 67° 44°
- Jun 77° 54°
- Jul 82° 59°
- Aug 80° 57°
- Sep 73° 50°
- Oct 58° 38°
- Nov 45° 28°
- Dec 33° 17°
Each month: normal high (large) and low, °F. Fill: the month's normal mean, colder blue to hotter red.
What is the weather like in Montpelier each month?
July is the warmest month, with normal highs of 82°F; January the coldest, with normal lows of 7°F. The most precipitation falls in July (4.64 in), the least in February (2.43 in).
| Month | High | Low | Mean | Precip. | Wet days | 90°F days | Freezing nights | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 28°F | 7°F | 17.4°F | 2.76 | 14 | <1 | 30 | 9 h 10 min |
| February | 31°F | 9°F | 20.1°F | 2.43 | 12 | <1 | 28 | 10 h 30 min |
| March | 40°F | 18°F | 29.1°F | 2.60 | 12 | <1 | 28 | 11 h 50 min |
| April | 53°F | 32°F | 42.6°F | 3.30 | 13 | <1 | 18 | 13 h 20 min |
| May | 67°F | 44°F | 55.7°F | 4.41 | 13 | 1 | 3 | 14 h 40 min |
| June | 77°F | 54°F | 65.4°F | 4.39 | 14 | 2 | <1 | 15 h 30 min |
| July | 82°F | 59°F | 70.3°F | 4.64 | 12 | 6 | <1 | 15 h 10 min |
| August | 80°F | 57°F | 68.7°F | 3.86 | 11 | 3 | <1 | 14 h |
| September | 73°F | 50°F | 61.1°F | 3.09 | 10 | 1 | <1 | 12 h 40 min |
| October | 58°F | 38°F | 48.0°F | 3.67 | 14 | <1 | 10 | 11 h |
| November | 45°F | 28°F | 36.8°F | 2.93 | 13 | <1 | 22 | 9 h 40 min |
| December | 33°F | 17°F | 24.8°F | 3.27 | 17 | <1 | 29 | 8 h 50 min |
| Year (annual) | 55°F | 35°F | 45.0°F | 41.35 | 155 | 13 | 168 |
The same normals in °C and millimetres
| Month | High | Low | Mean | Precip. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | −2°C | −14°C | −8.1°C | 70 mm |
| February | 0°C | −13°C | −6.6°C | 62 mm |
| March | 4°C | −8°C | −1.6°C | 66 mm |
| April | 12°C | 0°C | 5.9°C | 84 mm |
| May | 20°C | 7°C | 13.2°C | 112 mm |
| June | 25°C | 12°C | 18.6°C | 112 mm |
| July | 28°C | 15°C | 21.3°C | 118 mm |
| August | 27°C | 14°C | 20.4°C | 98 mm |
| September | 23°C | 10°C | 16.2°C | 78 mm |
| October | 15°C | 3°C | 8.9°C | 93 mm |
| November | 7°C | −2°C | 2.7°C | 74 mm |
| December | 0°C | −8°C | −4.0°C | 83 mm |
NOAA publishes no 1991-2020 snowfall normal for this station. The nearest record that keeps one, Northfield (7 miles away), gets 76 inches of snow in a normal year; elevation and distance can change that.
Source: NOAA NCEI 1991-2020 monthly normals, station USC00435273; annual normals. Wet days: 0.01 inch or more; 90°F days and freezing nights: NOAA's day counts. Daylight: sunrise to sunset on the 15th, computed from the latitude.
When is the best weather to visit Montpelier?
Normal highs sit between 65°F and 85°F in May, June, July, August and September. Of those, September has the fewest days with rain (10).
That is a measurement, not a recommendation: it counts the months whose normal afternoon high sits between 65°F and 85°F, where a light layer is enough by day.
Source: NOAA NCEI 1991-2020 monthly normals, station USC00435273.
When is the last frost in Montpelier?
In Montpelier, the last spring frost (32°F) comes after May 5 in half of years and after May 21 in one year in ten; the first autumn frost comes before October 9 in half of years and before September 28 in one year in ten.
Frost-free in half of yearsFrost in 1 to 9 years out of 10Frost most years
- Last spring frost, half of years after
- May 51 year in 10 after May 21; 9 in 10 after April 23
- First autumn frost, half of years before
- October 91 year in 10 before September 28; 9 in 10 before October 24
NOAA puts the median frost-free season at 157 days, and the season without a hard freeze (28°F) at 178 days.
A hard freeze (28°F) comes after April 24 in half of springs and before October 21 in half of autumns.
The USDA's 2023 Plant Hardiness Zone Map puts Montpelier in zone 5a in ZIP code 05602.
Frost dates for every NOAA station in Vermont · Frost dates by ZIP code
Source: NOAA NCEI 1991-2020 annual normals (frost probabilities), station USC00435273; USDA 2023 Plant Hardiness Zone Map, ZIP listings: PRISM Group, Oregon State University, https://prism.oregonstate.edu, accessed October 8, 2026. A 10% date means one year in ten has a frost after it in spring or before it in autumn.
How hot and how cold does it get in Montpelier?
In a normal year in Montpelier, 13 days a year reach 90°F, 168 nights fall to 32°F or colder and 155 days bring measurable precipitation.
- Days at 90°F or more
- 13a normal year
- Days at 100°F or more
- fewer than 1a normal year
- Nights at 32°F or colder
- 168a normal year
- Days that stay below freezing
- 55high of 32°F or less
- Days with 0.01 inch of precipitation
- 155a normal year
Source: NOAA NCEI 1991-2020 annual normals, station USC00435273.
How sunny is Montpelier?
Over a year 66% of the sunlight that would reach the ground under clear skies gets through the clouds in the area around Montpelier, 3.5 kWh per square metre a day. August is the sunniest month (74%) and December the cloudiest (52%).
| Month | Share of clear-sky sunshine | Sunshine, kWh/m² a day |
|---|---|---|
| January | 57% | 1.4 |
| February | 61% | 2.2 |
| March | 63% | 3.3 |
| April | 63% | 4.3 |
| May | 65% | 5.1 |
| June | 69% | 5.6 |
| July | 73% | 5.7 |
| August | 74% | 5.0 |
| September | 74% | 4.0 |
| October | 61% | 2.4 |
| November | 57% | 1.5 |
| December | 52% | 1.1 |
Source: NASA POWER solar climatology, 2001-2020 (CERES SYN1deg). Satellite-based, for the 1-degree cell (about 100 km across) around the station, so it describes the area rather than the airport.
How much heating and cooling does Montpelier need?
A normal year in Montpelier brings 7,722 heating degree days, 44% more than the median U.S. place (5,373), and 472 cooling degree days, 48% fewer than the median (908). Eight months need 300 or more heating degree days, a monthly mean of about 55°F or colder. For gardens and crops, NOAA counts 2,349 growing degree days a year above 50°F.
| Month | Heating | Cooling |
|---|---|---|
| January | 1,475 | 0 |
| February | 1,257 | 0 |
| March | 1,111 | 0 |
| April | 675 | 1 |
| May | 307 | 18 |
| June | 79 | 91 |
| July | 14 | 177 |
| August | 24 | 139 |
| September | 163 | 45 |
| October | 527 | 2 |
| November | 846 | 0 |
| December | 1,245 | 0 |
| Year (annual) | 7,722 | 472 |
Source: NOAA NCEI 1991-2020 monthly normals, station USC00435273. A degree day is one degree of a day's mean temperature below 65°F (heating) or above it (cooling); utilities use them to estimate energy use.
How does Montpelier's climate compare?
Montpelier is warmer than 19 of the other 28 places with their own NOAA record in Vermont, and wetter than 11. Across the 7,247 U.S. stations with normals, its annual mean of 45.0°F is warmer than 19%.
In the Köppen classification computed from these normals, Montpelier is Dfb: continental, no dry season, warm summer. What the classes mean.
Places with the most similar year elsewhere
Measured month by month on the normal high, low and precipitation, among places of 20,000 or more people in other states:
Source: NOAA NCEI 1991-2020 normals for every station PlainClimate covers. Similarity: the root-mean-square difference of the 36 monthly figures, precipitation weighted so an inch counts like 6°F.
Questions about Montpelier's climate
What is the coldest month in Montpelier?
January, with a normal high of 28°F and a normal low of 7°F. The warmest is July (82°F by day, 59°F at night).
Does it snow in Montpelier?
Yes. NOAA publishes no 1991-2020 snowfall normal for Montpelier's NOAA station; the nearest record that keeps one, Northfield (7 miles away), records 76 inches of snow in a normal year.
What is the rainiest month in Montpelier?
July, with 4.64 in of precipitation in a normal year; the driest is February with 2.43 in.
What plant hardiness zone is Montpelier in?
The USDA's 2023 map puts Montpelier in zone 5a in ZIP code 05602.
How late can frost come in Montpelier?
In half of years the last 32°F night comes after May 5; in one year in ten it comes after May 21. Waiting until May 21 leaves about a one-in-ten chance of a later frost.
Nearby and next
- Vermont climateThe statewide normals and every place in the state
- Barre, VT4 miles from this station, 42.6°F a year
- Northfield, VT7 miles from this station, 43.8°F a year
- Worcester, VT8 miles from this station, 43.2°F a year
- Plainfield, VT9 miles from this station, 41.3°F a year
- Compare two placesMonth by month, side by side
Download these normals (CSV) · JSON · How these figures are made